The Red Sea Terror Triangle: Sudan, Somalia, Yemen, and Islamic Terror

by Shay,Shaul

• ISBN13: 9781412806206
• ISBN10: 1412806208
• Format: Nonspecific Binding
• Copyright: 2006-10-30
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

In the aftermath of the terror campaign launched on September 11, 2001, the United States declared war against global terror. It identified the al-Qaida organization and Afghanistan under the Taliban regime as the initial targets of the offensive, and Iraq as the next. However, aside from the countries included by President Bush in the "Axis of Evil" (Iraq, Iran, and North Korea), a triangle of countries in the Red Sea region are also potential targets in the war against terror-Sudan, Somalia, and Yemen.

Author Biography

Shaul Shay is a research fellow at the International Policy Institute for Counter-Terrorism at the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya

Table of Contents

Introduction	ix
Part I: Sudan and Islamic Terror
1. Sudan—A Historical Review	3	(24)
The Beginning of Islam in Sudan (up to the al Mandi period)	3	(2)
Sudan's Road to Independence	5	(2)
Sudan's Fundamental Problems	7	(2)
The Military Dictatorship of General Abud	9	(2)
The Strengthening of the Civil Government in Sudan	11	(1)
Problems in the South following the October Revolution	12	(2)
The General Elections in May 1965	14	(2)
The Period of Jaafar al Numeiri's administration (1969-1986)	16	(2)
Al Numeiri's Islamic Turnabout	18	(3)
The Regime of Zadek al Mandi	21	(1)
Omar al Beshir's Rise to Power	22	(5)
2. Sudan and Islam	27	(8)
Hassan al Turabi—Biographical Milestones	27	(1)
The Development of the Islamic Movement in Sudan during the Modern Era	28	(2)
The National Islamic Front (NIF)—the Sudan Charter	30	(2)
The Relationship between the National Islamic Front (NIF) and Islamic Organizations and the NIF's Relationship with the West	32	(3)
3. Sudan and Terror	35	(28)
The Links between Sudan and Iran, and Sudan's Support for Radical Islam	35	(5)
Sudan and Bin Laden	40	(5)
Sudan and the "Carlos" Affair	45	(1)
Sudanese Aid to Egyptian Terror Organizations	46	(1)
Sudanese Involvement in the Assassination Attempt against the Egyptian President	47	(4)
The American Attack against a Factory in Sudan in 1998	51	(2)
Power Struggles between Omar al Beshir and Hasan al Turabi (1999-2002)	53	(1)
The Shift in Sudan's Policy following September 11, 2001	54	(9)
Part II: Somalia and Islamic Terror
4. Somalia—Background and Historical Review	63	(40)
Somali Society	63	(1)
The Period of Ziad Barre's Administration	64	(4)
The Rival Factions in Somalia	68	(1)
The End of Ziad Bane's Government and the Civil War	69	(4)
Islamic Involvement in Somalia	73	(2)
Iranian Involvement in Somalia	75	(2)
Sudanese Involvement in Somalia	77	(2)
Osama Bin Laden and the Campaign in Somalia	79	(2)
The Campaign in Somalia—Summer 1993	81	(5)
Somalia Today—For and Against Terror	86	(17)
Part III: Yemen and Islamic Terror
5. Yemen—Historical Background	103	(38)
The War in North Yemen 1962-1970	104	(1)
Egypt's Incursion into Yemen	104	(6)
The Unification of Yemen	110	(1)
Yemen and the Gulf War	111	(1)
The Growth of Radical Islam in Yemen	112	(1)
Yemen and Islamic Terror	113	(5)
Local Islamic Terror Organizations Active in Yemen	118	(3)
Prominent Attacks in the Yemenite Arena	121	(10)
Counter-Terror Steps Taken by the Yemenite Authorities (starting from September 11, 2001)	131	(4)
Yemen and the War in Iraq 2003 (Iraqi Freedom)	135	(6)
Part IV: The Terror Triangle and Its Impact on Neighboring Countries
6. Impact of Terror on Neighboring Countries	141	(16)
Introduction	141	(2)
The Assassination Attempt against President Mubarak in Addis Ababa	143	(2)
The Attacks in Kenya and Tanzania (August 7, 1998)	145	(3)
The Terror Campaign in Kenya against Israeli Targets	148	(9)
Part V: Theoretical Analysis and Conclusions
7. The Islamic Terror Triangle—Comparative Aspects	157	(46)
Islam	157	(1)
Foreign (Colonial) Rule	158	(2)
Civil War	160	(1)
Legitimization of Terror	161	(1)
Conflict and Controversy with Neighboring States	162	(1)
Summary	162	(2)
Intercultural Conflicts, "Failing States" and Al Qaida—Reciprocal Links	164	(1)
"Failing States" and "Ungovernable Regions" (UGRs)	165	(6)
"Islam and the Rest of the World"—The Conflict between Radical Islam and Western Cultures	171	(3)
The Conflict between Cultures: The Nomadic Culture versus the State-Oriented Culture	174	(3)
Al Qaida as an Expression of the Merging of Radical Islam and Nomadic Culture	177	(8)
The Campaign against Global Islamic Terror	185	(8)
The Failing State and Its Rehabilitation as a Component of the War against Global Terror	193	(4)
The United States and Its Confrontation with the Islamic Terror Challenge in the Red Sea Region	197	(6)
Appendices	203	(16)
Index	219